Chapter 24 – Mari
“You’re here,” I said softly.
Nate. He’d come. He’d saved me when I was too fucking tired to save myself.
“I’m here.”
“Cameron.” I tried to tell him, but I fell into a coughing fit that made everything hurt.
“You first, baby.”
“No. He’s been in here longer.”
“I’m not arguing with you, Mari. I’ll get you out, and then I’ll dig him out.” Nate didn’t wait for me to respond, picking his way through the debris, dodging hot beams and wobbling sections of floor as he went.
I reached to feel his face, needing him to ground me, and found a mask instead. At first, I wasn’t sure why, then I realized, right now, he was the enemy. An Ace in a Marcosa house that was just set to flame.
Dominic wouldn’t be the only one to pull a gun if Nate was seen. “It’s not safe for you.”
“I don’t give a fuck. You texted, I came.”
That was that. I hated it, but I had to trust that Nate knew what he was doing better than I did at the moment. Resting against him, I drew strength from his steady heartbeat, forcing my lungs to breathe with him. It hurt, but by the time fresh air filled them, I felt better. That might not have been a good thing, though.
We moved around until, suddenly, I was being set down, cold grass at my back. The fabric around my mouth and nose was stripped off, and when the chill hit, I twisted and coughed until I thought I’d puke. Those arms that had cradled me so sweetly disappeared, but I reached a hand out to keep them close even though I was flailing around blindly. He couldn’t leave. “Wait.”
“I’m going back for your cousin, angel. Do you have her?”
I thought he was talking to me, but Greyson spoke. “Of course. You should stay.”
“I can’t. I’ve got a job to do.” He brushed his lips against my forehead. “Love you, angel.”
“Wait!” I croaked, but he was gone. Suddenly, I regretted asking him. I wanted him with me, even if it cost me my only cousin.
Was that love or obsession? Was it greed? Was it wrong? It felt wrong. I didn’t want to lose either of them, but I wasn’t sure I could lose Nate again.
Cool hands wiped a cloth over my eyes, fingers caressing my cheeks. “He’ll be back, reina. Have faith.”
I’d had faith once, but it had all been burned out as surely as the walls of Cameron’s house. Faith was for people with the luxury of believing, but I could hope—and I did.
Grey worked on clearing my face, telling me all about Ash while he did. Apparently, she and Dominic were in the ambulance. Aislynn woke up just long enough to refuse to leave until Cameron and I were out. Dominic had passed out almost immediately after he’d dropped her on the gurney. The smoke inhalation and the strength it had taken to get them outside would have him out for a few hours. Long enough for Nate to disappear again without risking Dominic’s wrath.
A small miracle. I listened to Greyson’s rambling, but my focus was on the house in front of me. Every second that passed made my hope flag a bit more until I was certain I’d just lost Nate for good.
When he walked out, clothes steaming and my cousin held in his arms as securely as he’d held me, I thought I was going to die. My heart pounded in my ears as he walked closer, laying Cameron at my side.
“He’s alive, but he needs a hospital.”
“I’ve already called Dr. Grant. She’s waiting for us,” Grey offered.
Wanting to thank him, I turned back to Nate, only to realize that his clothes weren’t just smoking because he’d been inside. “You’re hurt.”
His shoulder was a mess, the skin red and angry. He looked down at it, and even if I couldn’t see his face, I knew he winced. “I am, but I can’t stay.”
“You can’t let that go untreated,” Greyson said, stepping closer. “You’ll get an infection or something.”
“If I stay and he finds out, we’re all dead. My mom, the three of you, me. You have no idea how unstable he is.”
“So, tell us.” It was an olive branch, but one he’d earned.
Nate didn’t have to save us. He didn’t have to go back in to get my cousin, but he did. For me. Actions spoke louder than words, and while Nate may have been Cash’s, he’d proven he was mine where it counted.
He sighed, rubbing his sooty thumb over my fingers. “If he finds out I was here, Cash won’t care what his plans are. He’ll blow the city sky-high. He’d rather be king of the ashes than nothing at all.”
He leaned over and moved the mask high enough so he could brush a kiss against my lips. “I have to go. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Wait!” I sat up, struggling until he slid his arm behind my back and helped me. “This can’t go unpunished.”
Nate sighed. “I know, but…he’s unstable, angel. I don’t want you anywhere near him. Not without me, and I can’t go with you. Not yet. Not until I’m done.”
I wanted to ask what he was waiting for, but I was realizing that I needed to have more trust in my men and Nate. He needed me to try. We both did. “Give me a target I can hit that he’ll care about.”
“The Cardinal.”
What the hell? “That’s Marcosa territory.”
“Not the second basement.”
Motherfucker. Deciding not to comment on the second basement in my building, I asked, “Why is it important?”
“Our father used to live there before you took it over.”
I remembered what he’d said, about Cash’s obsession with Alec and Mario taking over where their father was trying to rule. Knowing that, it made sense that Cash had a home base his father used. He was trying to emulate him. “We’ll take care of it.”
Nate clenched his hand around mine, forcing me to focus. “Mari, I need you to be careful. Cash isn’t just unstable because he’s a psychopath. He’s unstable because he’s an addict.”
Grey cursed under his breath, and I felt like doing the same. Addicts were unpredictable, and one who was already as off-kilter as Cash was bound to be deep in his sickness. It would’ve been good to know ages ago, but I wasn’t going to harp on it now. “What’s his poison?”
“Coke.”
Well, shit. That made a lot of sense. I’d bet half of his decisions were made when he was out of his mind, which was why he was so erratic. He was following the high and the power it gave him. “How long?”
“Decades. It’s bad.”
At this point, he probably couldn’t function for ten minutes without a bump, which meant he was constantly straddling the line between survival and overdose. His body couldn’t take it much longer, and if I had to guess, that was why he kept coming at us. He was running out of time.
“I’ll be careful,” I promised.
Nate leaned back down, and I kissed him, mask and all. “I’ll call you when I can. I love you.”
“Be safe,” I whispered. “And thank you.”
He glanced over at Cameron, who was still unconscious, and turned back with a smile for me. “Anything for you, angel.”
Watching him walk away without knowing if he’d be okay was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, and I knew it would only get worse from here.
The Cardinal looked different after dark, or maybe it was just knowing that it was going to burn.
Cameron and Aislynn had been transferred to Dr. Grant’s care at Seattle General, but Dominic had shoved his way out of the ambulance just as they were about to leave, hacking and coughing and refusing to go home. I’d balked, trying to get him to go in to get checked out, until he pointed out that I’d been inside much longer. If I wasn’t going, neither was he. No amount of cajoling or convincing could get him to agree, and Grey hadn’t even attempted. Probably because he thought Dominic was right.
Giving up, the three of us drove back to the Celestine long enough to grab what we needed and to have Tennessee lock down the building.
No in or out until we know what’s going on.
I already knew what was going on, but I had to bide my time. Once I knew if my cousin was okay, I could make plans. But the punishment had to fit the crime, or I’d invite more than criticism into the ranks.
We got out of the SUV, not bothering with stealth. If the Aces didn’t know we were coming, they were fucking stupid. Besides, this wasn’t about killing them, like Sevenroe had been. This was about destroying something Cash was attached to because he’d gone after my cousin. Because he’d gone after Ash again.
Fuck with my family, I’ll torch the memory of yours.
Greyson stood watch at the car, listening to the police scanners and checking in with our own security team. Knowing Cash had almost gotten Shara into jail made me leery, and even though the officers in charge of that shitshow were now deceased, thanks to a visit from Cameron, I didn’t want to risk it. The police weren’t ours anymore, and that made them enemies. Plain and simple.
“Are we going to burn it down or level it?” Dominic asked, coughing into his arm as he crouched beside me. We both sounded like pack-a-day smokers, but the EMT I’d finally convinced him to see—as long as I did too—said it would go away with time. We already had an appointment with Dr. Grant when she was done sorting out Cameron and Aislynn.
“Level it. I want it wiped off the map.” I could feel his eyebrow rise as he watched me place the first of many explosives. “This isn’t just about him irritating me. It’s a message for his little spy too. No one messes with my family.”
“And when he retaliates?”
That was the question. Cash would come after us—that was a given—but how would he do it? What would he take that he felt was equally as important to me as the Cardinal was to him?
“We deal with it when it comes.”
Now that I knew Nate was on our side, I had a feeling the playing field was going to be much more level. If we could get Nate out without losing him, he could turn the tide.
Dominic followed as I circled the building, checking in with Greyson occasionally. Just after two a.m., the area was silent, not a single soul around. Crazy to think a few hours ago we were sitting down to watch a movie, and now we were demolishing a building that had been in my family for almost longer than I had. With the explosives laid, we had nothing left to do but get out of range and trigger it to blow. Dominic coughed again, and I grabbed his hand, eager to get out of here so I could force him into bed. He looked exhausted.
“All clear?” I asked as we caught sight of Grey again.
“Clear,” Grey confirmed, opening the back door of the SUV. “Get inside, and we’ll?—”
“No.” I needed to feel the heat, to let it sink into my bones in a way I’d been too frazzled to allow the fire at Cameron’s house.
“You’ll be a sitting duck for shrapnel,” Dominic snapped.
We were well out of shrapnel distance, but I could see how worried and tired they were. No way was I going to fight them on it. “We’ll go on the other side of the car.”
I would still feel the heat and see the destruction; I’d just be less likely to die because of an errant brick or something, and they wouldn’t have a coronary. Compromise was a lovely thing.
“You want to say anything?” Dominic asked.
Not really, but I thought it. This is for you, cousin.
Then I set off the bombs.
The building went down with a bang that shook the car and fucked our hearing. A gust of air blew my hair back in streams as level upon level dropped like tipping dominoes.
It was beautiful.
I’d always liked destruction, the chaos of pulling something to the ground to make way for something new. This time, it was just joy that I’d taken something from the man who had stolen so much from me. It felt a little like justice.
No one said anything as we watched. We couldn’t stay long, but I wanted to see what the aftermath was like. I wasn’t surprised when no Aces came out of the building and no one drove up. The place was abandoned by Cash’s men, but the destruction was meant to be an emotional wound. I didn’t need bodies everywhere to make a point. I ignored my phone the first time it rang, but when it started up immediately after, I knew something was wrong. Seeing that it was Nate made everything feel far more dangerous.
“Nate. Are you okay?”
Dominic’s head whipped around, and I swear to god, if he could’ve shot fire out his eyes, he would’ve. “Give me the phone.”
“Fuck off!” I hissed, turning back to my call. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said I’m fine, but you have to get out of there.”
I batted Dominic’s hand away when he tried to snatch my phone and glared at him. “Why? Is he coming?”
“Worse.”
What the hell could be worse than Cash coming for me personally?
The flare of red and blue lighting up the darkened street was my answer. Cops. “Seriously, he brought the police? It’s my fucking building.”
“Angel, listen to me. These are not your cops. There’s a reason Cash wanted Shara in jail, and if he gets you in there, I’m not sure you’ll come out.” Nate’s voice was desperate, and he panted like he was sprinting somewhere.
“I have protection in jail.” Not a lot because my people didn’t end up behind bars, but enough. I’d gotten even more after the incident with Shara, but considering I had just thought about the pigs being on someone else’s payroll, I listened. I hauled Greyson and Dominic behind a small group of trees, hoping that it would give us enough cover to hide in.
“Not for this. Run. I’m begging you.”
“I can’t.” It was already too late. One of the cruisers flicked on their spotlight and shone it our direction. The only thing hiding us was the car, and once they got out of their cruiser, we were all fucked.
Our only hope was they were clueless about who they had at the end of their leash, which was obliterated when someone called my name over the loudspeaker. “Marianna Marcosa, come out with your hands up.”
“Don’t even think about it. We’ll hand ourselves over to the cops. You get your ass up and run,” Dominic hissed. “I already left you once today. I’m not doing it again.”
“You have to.” I pressed my fingers to his lips, speaking quickly because we definitely didn’t have time. “Someone set Cameron’s house on fire. Only three people knew where it was. Him, me, and Joaquin. That’s it. They tried to kill Aislynn, which would’ve set O’Bannon on the warpath. These idiots need a scapegoat, and our people need a leader they can trust. Right now, that’s you two. Keep Joaquin on ice, take care of Cameron and Ash, and get me out as soon as you can.”
“Mari—” Grey looked beyond horrified.
“We can work with this,” I said fast, hearing more cruisers stop. “People need a reminder that I’m on top, and we’ll give them one. I’ll make jail my bitch.”
Dominic growled. “No.”
“Dominic.”
“I said no.” He wrapped a hand around my throat and brought his lips to mine, biting until the bottom one split. “I’m not losing you again, temporary or otherwise.”
With a shove, I was in Greyson’s lap as Dominic slunk toward the car and stepped into the light.
“No!” I lurched for him, but Grey held me back, slapping a hand over my mouth as the cops screamed at Dominic.
“Hands in the air!”
I scratched and clawed at Greyson, desperate to get out, but he had me locked in his lap. He dropped his head to my shoulder, whispering, “You can’t go out there, Mari. You know you can’t.”
I never wanted to be the type of leader who required their people to make sacrifices for them, and this was something I couldn’t condone. “I can’t let him do this alone.”
“You said it yourself, your people need a leader they can trust. That’s you.”
“But Dominic—” My voice cracked, and I hated it. I needed us safe. It was too dangerous to be separated right now.
Greyson squeezed me tight, though it was more comfort than restraint this time. “Is doing his job, Mari. Trust him to get out quickly. Trust him to come back to you.”
“Taking the fall isn’t his job or yours.”
“Yes, it is. We’re here to support you and guide you, but we’re also here to shield you. Let him do it.”
Not like I had any choice but to sit front row as every gun in the vicinity—and there were a lot, considering four fucking police cars were on the scene—turned Dominic’s way.
“Who the hell is that?” someone asked.
“The guy who set fire to this building,” was Dominic’s flippant reply. Fucking idiot.
The confusion continued until someone else said, “He’s a Marcosa. I saw him when they brought the girl in.”
All at once, the other cops seemed to get the memo.
“Get on the ground!”
“Hands above your head!”
“On your stomach!”
They all yelled their own commands, most of them contradictory, and I could practically see Dominic rolling his eyes. I just had to hope that he wasn’t going to cause any issues. There were too many to fight off, and I wasn’t willing to risk hurting him in a shootout. The Donnaghals would get him out of jail quickly or I would make them regret their choice in career.
“Rogers, go check the car.”
My heart went into overdrive, and I pulled out a gun. We weren’t hidden well enough for someone to come snooping around nearby. Unfazed, Greyson squeezed me tighter. “Don’t.”
I didn’t drop the gun. We weren’t going to die because of a cop on Cash’s payroll. Not in this lifetime or the next.
Heavy footsteps smacked the pavement, getting closer by the second, and when they were close to the front of the car, I raised the gun, finger poised to squeeze the trigger.
“You’re a bunch of cocksucking assholes.” Dominic’s voice echoed in the relative quiet, and the footsteps ground to a halt.
“Excuse me?”
“No, I won’t. You’re a sorry excuse for a cop and an even sorrier one for a man. You’re whipped and not in the fun way. Seriously, how do you live with yourselves? The second Master calls, you go running. Fucking pathetic.”
“Is he out of his mind?” I hissed.
“No, he’s trying to get them away from you.”
It worked.
Men with any semblance of power had the biggest egos around, and Dominic had poked a hole in theirs, rendering them a slowly deflating balloon.
The cops converged on Dominic. Nothing felt right about letting them cuff him, especially when they kicked him as they did. I felt every single hit like it was on my skin, and I was ready to kill each and every one of them. Someone called him a scumbag as they spat in his face, and I wanted to creep out from behind the tree and destroy everyone who touched him.
“Later, Mari,” Greyson promised. “We’ll take care of them eventually.”
We would destroy them later. I’d make sure they died bleeding.
Watching them drive Dominic away was so reminiscent of Shara that I thought I was going to throw up. Instead, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Laidan Donnaghal.
Dominic arrested. I want him out.
We waited for ages until the cops all left, feeling like they’d taken part of my heart with them.